West Australian rains too late for most wheat crops

Rainfall this week through much of Western Australia northern and central wheatbelt will be mostly too late in the growing season to be of much benefit to winter crops including wheat, Shane Sander, a risk management adviser at Western Australia-based commodity manager AGvise, said Wednesday.

Even with the rain benefiting some crops, Sander still expects wheat production in Western Australia this crop year ending March 31, 2010 to fall short of an estimated eight million tonnes, which would be down from actual output in 2008-09 of 8.9 million tonnes.

"The reality is that it will be of very little benefit to most crops, though it could help in some southeastern growing areas,'' he said of Monday (Oct 26) and Tuesday (Oct 27) rainfall, which brought 10-25 millimetres to many areas.

Crops in the northern Geraldton Port zone are already being harvested, as are crops in usually marginal northern and eastern areas, he said.

Moreover, the rain comes after hot and dry weather through much of October, which has hurt yield prospects, he said.

Western Australia typically accounts for 40 percent of national wheat production and more than 50 percent of national wheat exports, making it a major supplier to the global trade.